The Utica Harbor Point project has been a long time coming, in the works since 2008. Progress has always been slow and steady, but on Tuesday, bigger strides were taken.

"Today is hopefully the beginning of the development of the backside, commercial and residential area of Harbor Point," said Vincent Gilroy, chairman of the Utica Harbor Point Development Corp.

Developers from across the state attended a forum, where project leaders described their vision for the project. The area available for private development is about 16 acres and could be a $50 to $100 million investment. 

"We have people from Buffalo, Albany, Syracuse, so they really come from all over, but then I think they're kind of seeing the buzz and talking to their fellow developers that things are going on in Utica and there's a real opportunity here," said Jack Spaeth, president of Utica's Industrial Development Agency.

Project leaders say they plan to release their request for proposal (RFP) in the next month, hopefully hearing from interested developers soon after.

"I think a developer that has a well-rounded background is really going to fit in a project like this," said Spaeth. 

"If they put some housing in there, where you can look over the water and look into the city, it's going to be a huge success," Gilroy said.

Project leaders say it'll be at least another year before major construction can begin at the harbor. In addition to a proposed minor league baseball field and an amphitheater, city officials are also proposing the addition of an indoor water park at that location.